Hancock County residents petition against tax hike

FINDLAY Hancock County commissioners yesterday were presented with a petition signed by nearly 350 county residents who say they want the county to scale back a proposed sales tax hike.

Commissioners have been planning to impose a long-term, 0.75 percent sales tax increase intended to generate $7.25 million a year. The proceeds would be split evenly between county operations, flood mitigation projects for the Blanchard River, and capital improvement projects, including a new county court building.

A group calling itself Citizens for Efficient Government has proposed that commissioners impose a two-year, 0.5 percent sales tax hike to be divided between county operations and flood mitigation.

The group then wants commissioners to work with residents, state representatives, and the Northwest Ohio Flood Mitigation Partnership to come up with a sales tax proposal earmarked for long-term flood mitigation that could be submitted to county voters for approval.